Birdie and Jay Audiobook By Ella Joy Olsen cover art

Birdie and Jay

A Novel

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Birdie and Jay

By: Ella Joy Olsen
Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Gerard Doyle
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About this listen

From the famed halls of the American Museum of Natural History to the opulent parties of Manhattan’s Gilded Age elite to a muddy dig site that may be hiding a groundbreaking discovery, Birdie & Jay is a captivating historical novel that will take you on an unforgettable journey.

Birdie, a young woman born into wealth, has a deep passion for art and science which leads her to a position painting landscape habitats at the new Museum of Natural History. Her mother - who sees this pursuit as a distraction from her daughter’s obligatory society functions - tries to forbid her from the museum, but Birdie’s dedication only grows once she meets Jay, an intelligent Irishman who’s yanked himself up by his dusty bootstraps to join the museum’s elite team of researchers.

Captivated by each other despite their class differences, Birdie and Jay steal away to Central Park each day, where they discuss the work of Darwin and other forces shaping their changing world. When the two are pulled apart for the summer - Jay to an expedition in England that could make or break his career, and Birdie to the mansions of Newport towards more acceptable suitors - both of them will have to fight for what’s right, and for a chance to be together.

A rich blend of the past, passion, and scientific truth-seeking adventure, Birdie & Jay is a powerful story that will transport listeners to an era of both extraordinary risk and glittering opportunity.

©2019 Ella Joy Olsen (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.
Fiction Historical Fiction Museum Heartfelt New York Feel-Good Scary
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Our favorite moments from Birdie and Jay

Jay reads up on adventure and expeditions.
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Jay attends a high society dinner.
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Bea notices Jay and remembers him from the Museum of Natural History.
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  • Birdie and Jay
  • Jay reads up on adventure and expeditions.
  • Birdie and Jay
  • Jay attends a high society dinner.
  • Birdie and Jay
  • Bea notices Jay and remembers him from the Museum of Natural History.

About the Creator

Ella Joy Olsen lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, a charming town tucked at the base of the massive Wasatch Mountains. She is the mom of three (young adult) kids, the mama of two dogs, and the wife of one patient husband. Her novels include: the Audible Original Birdie & Jay, the Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice Root, Petal, Thorn, and the 15 Bytes Finalist Where the Sweet Bird Sings. She teaches creative writing through Lifelong Learning at the University of Utah and she is part-owner of Salty City Writing Workshops, where she mentors writers and facilitates writing retreats.

About the Performer

Eva Kaminsky is a New York born and NYC-based actor and narrator. A 2014 Audie nominee and 2018 Earphone Award winner, she has recorded over 200 audiobooks in many different genres, though is most well known for her romance work. Eva can often be heard on various national television and radio commercials for products such as Intel, Neulasta, and Publix Supermarkets, and can be seen regularly on the big and small screen as well. She has spent over 25 years working professionally in theater, both on and off Broadway, and extensively in regional theaters all over the country. She was most recently the Year 2 cast of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child on Broadway.

About the Performer

Gerard Doyle’s 40 year acting career spans television, radio, and theater on both sides of the Atlantic, including national and international touring, London’s West End, and Broadway. He has recorded over 400 audio books, in genres ranging from mystery and suspense, fantasy, comedy, non-fiction, and young adult. He has been awarded many Earphones awards from AudioFile magazine, as well as being a several-time nominee and recipient of the coveted Audio Publishers Association "Audie" award.

Featured Article: The Gilded Age in History and Fiction


While fans of Julian Fellowes’s Gilded Age may be gagging on the luxurious costumes and sumptuous sets, part of the fun is sorting out fact from fiction in the HBO period drama. With a mix of invented characters and actual historical figures—such as society queen Caroline Astor and African American newspaper editor and civil rights leader T. Thomas Fortune—enthusiasts have plenty of resources available so they can learn the truth about the extravagant era when wealthy railroad magnates and other arrivistes were upending late 19th-century New York City society and culture.

What listeners say about Birdie and Jay

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    5 out of 5 stars

Historical fiction

I loved this story. It transported me to a different time time and place. Lived the twists of intrigue, forbidden romance and relatable tangles of family dynamics.

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This story has EVERYTHING!

Romance, History, Mystery, Science, Great Characters, Great Performance, Great Plot -- in short, it's the most delightful book I've listened to in years. If only there were a new title available from Ms. Olsen. Thank you and best wishes for many more stories to follow. Five stars plus!!

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4 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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entertaining love story

I loved the plot, the historical setting, and the blissful romance. The narrators were great together. It is a little like Romeo and Juliet story. Towards the end I really expected the worst to happen. I would most likely listen to again one day.

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1 person found this helpful

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A lovely escape

I really enjoyed listening to this book because it transported me to a different time and place. I liked the exploration of the Gilded Age and of scientific discovery in the early 20th century. The romance in the novel is tender, not sappy. I wish a sequel would be published!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Very slow.

After reading some reviews, I thought I'd enjoy this book. The story was slow moving and I found myself losing concentration and interest. I didn't care for the narrators and I just couldn't warm up to the story or characters.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Another Amazing Book by Ella Joy Olsen!

This is the third book I have read/listened to by this author. She really has a way of developing characters that I feel like I am there in the story. I loved the integration of history (like all of her books). She kept me interested to the end. I hope her next book comes out sooner than later!! It was a super fun read.

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3 people found this helpful

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Enjoyed every page

I enjoy reading about old New York and the museum. I will look at the museum with new eyes on my next visit.

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1 person found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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delightful escape

I really enjoyed this book, it's characters, and love story. It was a delightful escape from reality as I read it this week. The author's style of writing is eloquent and captivating. It was nice to be surprised with an unpredictable turn of events. But I gave the book only four stars because the ending felt rushed, like a whirlwind. By the time we got to the ending I was ready for the story to develop further and carry on a bit more. this was rather disapointing. I'd love to see a sequel written to accompany this sweet, adventurous story.

Once I was used to the narrators they have a fantastic performance and red the book as if it were a script to a movie playing in my head. Well done

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    3 out of 5 stars
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ROMANTIC HISTORICAL NOVEL

a sweet Victorian novel with a n interesting archeological backdrop. the story line was predictable and weak

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lovely story

I really enjoyed this story. It was over before I knew I was half way through. It went by so fast.

I really enjoyed the addition of birds and archeology too.

The readers were also enjoyable to listen to.

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